CDW

What a beauty! I had no idea this ship model was this nice, and the author is doing a fantastic job on it. Model Expo should give him a few kudos for showing off their product in such a favorable and well deserved light. Excellent in every way.

Craig

Looking good Mike.  I like the contrasting wood.  

 

On a side note, Mount Dora made our newspaper's front page today.  Big cabbage shortage being predicted due to the weather down there!  Evidently Mount Dora is a cabbage mecca.  Could be the beginning of a world crisis, not enough or outrageously priced cabbage to go with your corned beef on St. Patrick's Day!

Tom

Well, darn it. I'll just have to drink beer on St Patty's Day now that cabbage is in short supply. Or maybe a good Irish whiskey. 

I bet daddy, that Latina wood is some hard stuff, like cutting steel. I got so tired of cutting gun ports on the Vic, when I was finished cutting them I didn't want to see another gun port. I'm glad however that I gave myself a 1/8th inch space for the back of the dummy mount to the sides, had I positioned them flat on the inside of the sides, it would have left very little space behind the plank for the blade to cut the planking and I think I would have punched out a lot more than one gun port mount in the end.

 

 

mike  

I've been wondering, what exactly is that wood used for the planking on the Victory model? In the past, AL models I built employed a double planking, and the first planks were Limewood. But these don't seem to be Limewood, but something much harder.

I love the way your Montanes is coming out.

Craig

I know the feeling well. Having just finished cutting all those gun ports on my Victory model, I am ready for a little R&R.

Historical or not, I am just not fond of the "new" color. Based on personal preference and not the science of paint color analysis, I will choose the "old" color for mine. Besides, 99.9% of the people I know who may see my model, won't care one whit whether the color is perfectly historical or not, neither will they know the difference. Especially if they just glance at it while riding past on a galloping horse.   

If a build log is downloaded, does it include the attachments (pictures) as well as the text?

I've often wondered if there is a way to view all the attachments associated with a thread without scrolling through every single page and clicking on each individual picture.

Thanks for clarifying that, Mike. Everything you said makes perfect sense.

One thing I'm finding particularly annoying is the lack of plans in the Model Space version of this kit. As you can imagine, you often find yourself flying by the seat of your pants because you cannot "see" the dimensions or other particulars that come in later stages, because the parts packs are sent out one month at a time. Right now, I have no idea what size wood will be provided for the gun port linings.    

Mike

I read where you enlarged the gun ports on your Victory, but didn't see where you stated the dimensions of the enlarged openings. The plans call for 12 mm x 12 mm openings, so do you recall what your modified gun ports measured? If I can avoid it, I would like to modify mine now, before I do the linings.

Regards

Craig

 

...Worth having some PE tools too, I've picked up the PE benders and rollers from thesmallshop.com...

Regards,

Darren

 

Darren

 

Thanks for providing that link. I had no idea where to find those tools, as I have been away from doing plastic models for some years now and haven't kept up with things.

What I need as well is a good set of lighted magnifying glasses for the really small stuff. I've been checking out Amazon and they have a number of options.

 

Regards

Craig

can you post a few pictures of your Akagi please ? I have the complete partworks series of this Japanese aircraft carrier in my workshop for a future build. 

Brian

I haven't started any construction on it at all. Everything is still in the delivery packages. You're looking for construction progress photos I assume. Right?

Regards

Craig

After reading your post, I tried a forstner bit for the first time today. Works like a charm.

Thanks

Craig

I got my first model when I was about 5 years of age. I put it together over and over again using scotch tape. Loved that 1st model.

Here I am now at 62 years of age, and I've advanced to actually using glue, but I still love it!  When I get tired of it (building models), I put it down and do something else for a while. I always come back to it later when I feel like it. And it always keeps me happy, no matter how much attention to detail I place in it. But that's just me.

Sal

Such a great-looking model. You are doing an outstanding job on it.

Regards

Craig

I took a closer look at the instructions for the HMS Surprise and found them to be nowhere near as nice or as detailed as those for HMS Victory. That's unfortunate because the Model-Space instructions for HMS Victory are probably the finest intructions ever produced for a wood ship model.

That's disappointing to hear. My Akagi instructions are also nowhere near as nice as the Victory instructions. However, the model seems to be unique and I can find no other production of it by another company name. It may be exclusive.

Hello Ian,

I'm thinking drilling holes and cutting to the edges with a fine knife or saw.

Working on the same task right now...cutting the gun ports in my 1:84 Victory. Have found that drilling a number of small holes, then cutting/trimming to the pencil lines with a sharp X-Acto blade, then finishing off with a sanding stick, is the best solution I've found to tackle the job. Have found it is very important to keep a sharp blade in the knife. Change them often. If you even think the blade might be getting dull, it is dull. Change it. A sharp blade makes the job so much better. After about 5 ports are cut, it's time to change the blade.   I know that makes for a lot of blades used, but it's worth it in the long run.

Your model looks great!

Regards

Craig

Go into any discount beauty supply store and buy several different sizes and grit emery boards. They make a perfect sanding tool, are cheap, and very effective. 

PS: I am now working on cutting the gun ports on my 1:84 scale HMS Victory. What I do 1st is to drill a number of small holes inside the port which eliminates a whole lot of tedious cutting and leaves mainly, just some 'trimming to the outlines' of the port. The sanding is the very final way to clean up each edge to the lines, checking along the way to make sure I'm staying within the desired dimensions.

I want both, a good bandsaw and a good scroll saw. But what I really need first is a new out-building to keep those power tools inside. I don't like having my model building area in the same room as my power tools primarily because of all the dust they create. Right now, I have everything all jammed into one room/area, and that's not good.

I need to think about the big-picture for my models. A single display case is not enough, so I am thinking if I can find something that will be 'modular' in nature, that would be my best bet. And like you said, display case lighting is something to consider as well.

I am going to check out the Abordage website. Your case looked great. 

The case you ordered and assembled for the Victory looked stunning. It's a bit of sticker-shock to learn the cost of a display case is almost twice the cost of the actual model. But it is what it is.

Soon, I will have to face the same dilemma on how to display my Victory. Hmmm....decisions, decisions. 

Craig

Mike

Thanks for your reply. The closed ports in those locations nearest the bow make sense. However, at this stage of construction, my instruction manuals show the ports being cut open, into the planking. I assume that perhaps they will end up being closed like yours after final construction.

Are you a lifetime resident of Mt Dora? Many years ago, my two oldest siblings attended a private boarding school there. They often spoke of the good memories and friends they met while going to school there. They worked the fields in the summers when school was not in session. Probably something that's unheard of today.

Regards

Craig

Now here is another layman's take on it...if the original artist or owner does not take action to stop illegal use of their copyright material, they can actually lose their rights to it. At least that's what I've been given to understand when asking why it's so hard these days to find some of the original company logo decals for particular types of scale models. The mfg. must get permission from the company who owns the rights to whatever it is. Ford, Chevrolet, etc.

Hi Mike

A great build thread, and a happy ending for the Victory. Sharing it with others at the Public Library is a fine gesture and gives ship modelers a reputation boost for doing that. Kudos!

I am currently building the Model Space version of this kit, which I believe is identical in most respects (if not all) to your AL version.

Have just laid the first six planks on each side of the ship, marked the gun ports, and will drill then cut them out next.

My question is, what will the dummy guns fasten to in the two gun ports (port and starboard) closest to the bow? Inside all the other gun ports, it's obvious the drill must make a hole in the board behind each port. But the two forward ports closest to the bow have no such board behind them. Did you add something for the dummy gun barrels to attach to?

Regards

Craig 

I can't say for sure, but from what I can see, it seems they repackage the original kit parts in their own bags with construction numbering sequence.

One thing about the De Agostini (Model Space) kits, they give beautifully illustrated manuals for each construction phase chock full of full color photographs and historical data/specifications. The collection of manuals will be a nice addition to my library when it's all done.

Also, they claim they will happily replace any lost or broken parts, but I have yet to need to challenge the offer. Their customer service line is always easy to reach and seem helpful. For someone like me, who is getting back into the hobby after a long hiatus, their detailed instructions are a plus.

Craig

PS: The 1:250 Akagi kit might be an exclusive item. I have not found reference to any other Mfg. of the kit anywhere on the net. The same may be true for the 1:250 Yamato, but it's not available in the USA as far as I know. If it comes available, just may pop for that one. The 1:200 plastic kit of the Yamato is in the same price range as the Model Space kit. 

Gaetan

How easy is it to change the blade on the Hegner saw? I watched a YouTube video for the Excalibur saw, and really liked the fact that the saw frame is hinged, so it raises to change the blade quickly. In the video, the owner has a cup of coffee sitting on the cutting table while the saw is running full speed. There is no vibration whatsoever showing on the cup of coffee. 

Craig

What a litigious world we live in today. Lots of land mines out there, for sure.

While I'm no lawyer, I wouldn't be surprised if some people/companies use strong-arm tactics to extort money from people whether the law would actually support their claims or not. Just the threat of having to defend yourself in a lawsuit is enough to cause many of us to pay off, just to mitigate the damage.

It is well known there are many such companies out there who will do exactly that.

All that being said, the most sage advice is likely what the previous poster just said...unless you took the picture yourself, don't post it. 

Craig